Powerbook G4 and external 2.5"HD

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zoranb

Registered
Thats what im trying to connect (a 2.5"HD to my PowerBook G4) but apparently one usb port isnt enough to power my 2.5"HD. The Y cable the 2.5" enclosure comes with cannot connect to the one extra usb port cause its on the other side and it cant reach.
What can i do, any ideas? A USB hub? Has anyone tried this? What USB hub model is it?
 
An external USB hub will be fine, you just need a powered hub, that comes with its own power adapter, not an unpowered one.

Not sure where you are, in the US then this cheap but ugly hub would do.
 
Im not in the US but i need something that would be working for my Powerbook and not something pc/windows oriented!
 
USB hubs are not PC- or Mac-specific. They're just USB hubs, which work with all USB devices.

Just like hard drives: there's no such thing as an internal EIDE or SATA hard drive which will only work in a PC, or only work in a Mac. Hard drives are platform-independent, and will work in either.

Any powered USB hub will work.
 
Well I suggested a powered hub. Where are you based? Can you link an online computer seller from your area then we might be able to suggest a specific product. As EDCC said, ANY usb hub that comes with a power supply should do, I've not yet used one that didn't work with mac. These are pretty common these days so your local eelctrical retailer might also have one.
 
How much help do you need?
A self-powered USB hub is what you should look for.
One that you can find locally would be a convenient choice.
Any large electronics retailer will have a selection of brands.
Belkin is a good brand, but some folks don't care for Belkin. There's lots of other brands out there.
You can find hubs with anywhere from 2 to 7 extra ports.
4-port hubs would probably be the most common.
Just get one that comes with a power adapter.

Another choice would be a USB extension cable that would allow the other end of your Y-connector to plug into the other USB port on your PowerBook.

As PowerBooks are often known to be a little shy of power to the USB ports - that USB extension cable might not help, leaving you still needing a powered USB hub (as suggested)

Or, replace your power-hungry USB external drive with one that doesn't need quite so much power. I use a W-D Passport model that works fine without extra power.
 
It's a My Passport model...
I have two, with different capacities.

I use other USB portable drives at work, and don't usually have problems with power. I use a couple of different LaCie, and another one that I have used for several years, something generic. That one needs external power.
My point is, there's other portable drive cases out there that work without needing the extra power, but some do need that. My experience may not be shared by others here.
 
...and are you certain that the usb port you plug it into is a low powered usb port? Is it a port on a PowerBook G4?
 
Won't work reliably through an external keyboard USB port, if that's what you mean. I work in a shop, and use several different USB drives, most are not self-powered, and use on almost any Mac. Some are PowerBook G4s, which, IMHO, are the poorest Macs for lacking power to the USB ports. I run into some that don't work, but most will bus-power the USB drives that I have. Your Experience May Prove to be Different.
Again, for the most reliable results - use a powered USB external hub. Or, a self-powered USB drive.
If you want a reliable USB to hard drive connection, then trade off the G4, and get one of the aluminum MacBooks, or MacBook Pro. I see MUCH improved file transfers through USB, and devices mount much more quickly than any previous Mac I have used. I read about some problems with the new NVIDIA chipset on those models, but USB performance is not one of those problems, in my experience.... (just a recommendation!)
 
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